Grrrrrr.. AOL keeps timing out. I have written this three times now! You'd think I'd learn! LOL!

Okay once again...

Walela, the Cherokee word for Hummingbird is the symbol of inspiration for this family of women singers. They are Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla Coolidge, and her niece Laura Satterfield. Rita had an ill fated marriage to Kris Kristofferson in the late 60s early 70s. They have 2 CDs, the second is "Unbearable Love" and has two wonderful songs, "Cherokee Rose" and "When Love Was All We Knew" the former is a great sing along song because of the chorus. And the latter a sweet nostalgic song of childhood memories. Laura performs solo as well. One of the best cuts on the Walela cd is "Amazing Grace" sung in Cherokee (Tsalagi) The first CD is the type of music you listen to once and then want to give a copy as a gift to everyone you know! They might also have an "In Concert"CD.

If we are listing Native American folk singers one should not over look Sharon Burch who sings in both English and Navajo (Diné) her music expresses the simplicity and innocence of childhood and the importance of the realtionship between mother and child in the Diné tradition

And again, Joanne Shenandoah (Iroquois) is a must for this list. "Matriarch" is probably her best CD. There are too many to list.

Loreena McKennitt is not as well known as she should be in America. She has a few cds. IMHO her best songs are "The Lady of Shallott",( a wonderfully long ballad) "The Bonny Swans" (reminiscent of the Child Ballads) "Dark Night of the Soul" (a poem written by the mystic St. John of the Cross ~ a love song to his God, but could be from any lovelorn man to his lady love), and her bone chilling rendition of "Greensleeves."

What about Sheena Wellington?